Online Reporter
Veronica Gwaze in Nairobi, Kenya
YESTERDAY was perhaps the longest 24 hours that the Zimbabwe senior netball team have endured since they got into camp a month ago.
For a side whose destiny at the ongoing Netball World Cup Qualifiers lies in their own hands, thanks to Africa Netball’s “new” qualification format for the global showcase, it was a day of soul-searching.
Their morning started with an early breakfast, which some players skipped, visibly weighed down by the stress of their possible fate after a 31-47 defeat to Namibia on Monday.
A brutal video analysis followed, as the team dissected every lost pass, missed conversion and unforced error that bedevilled them in that crucial Group One tie.
But from that review, the mood shifted and a flicker of hope returned.
Under the revised World Cup qualifying format, finishing third in Group One does not eliminate Zimbabwe.
With South Africa and Uganda having already qualified via world rankings, if both sides qualify for the continental semi-finals, the other two semi-finalists will also automatically qualify for the World Cup finals.
If either South Africa or Uganda fails to qualify for the semi-finals, then the two will be seeded based on their pool positions. In that case, there will be play-offs.
The Group One winner will play the Group Two runners-up and vice-versa, with South Africa and Uganda excluded from these play-off matches.
As it stands, if the Gems beat Tanzania today, they still proceed to the play-offs as the second-best or the third-placed side, setting up a winner-takes-all tie against Group Two top team Malawi.
Now, the feeling has completely changed for the Gems, from the negativity and regret that swept through their camp after the Namibia loss.
But assistant coach Tatenda Shinya notes that the Gems will have to suffer to get the job done.
“There is a huge load of work that needs to be done . . . we realised that we made a lot of blunders that could have been avoidable in that game,” he said.
“We did some introspection, worked on the grey areas and today we face Tanzania with renewed energy.” The Gems’ shooting circle need to rediscover their range and convert turnover balls while the mid-court has to protect possession through the transverse line, also providing clean feeds. In the defensive end, Zimbabwe must win back aerial rebounds, close the shooting lane and cut down contact penalties inside the circle.
With a victory today against Tanzania, the Gems secure a play-off berth, while a defeat means that their 2027 Netball World Cup dream dies.
“If they get past Tanzania, Malawi awaits us in the battle for a ticket to the 2027 World Cup,” added Shinya.
“This is a mammoth task, but it is our only hope for the global showcase so it means we have to face it and give the opportunity our best shot.”
Malawi historically holds the upper hand when they get into the play-off battle, although Zimbabwe have secured crucial victories in some of the recent games.
In 2024, the Gems pulled off a surprise when they upstaged Malawi 48-42 in the third-place Africa Cup play-offs to snatch the bronze medal.
This was before another upset at the Africa Netball Cup in Malawi in December 2025 when Zimbabwe once again overpowered Malawi 48-44 to successfully defend third place in the continental contest.
However, a lot has changed for the Gems since then. This time, Zimbabwe fielded a relatively green side made of rookies, most of whom are making their debut in national colours while others have barely earned 10 caps.
“As a team, our discussion has revolved around what is at stake getting into this battle . . . we have a youthful side but they understand the assignment,” he said.
“It’s about the millions of Zimbabweans backing us, some of them even travelled to Kenya to support us.
“There’s pressure, of course, but that’s the nature of such tournaments, all teams want to be at the World Cup and only two will get the prize so we should fight at all costs.”
